NBA: I am the card dealer

O'Neal chuckled, obviously just wanting to make a joke and not offering any sincere advice at all.

After all, as Barkley said, if you can't even shoot free throws, how can you accurately hit the edge of the frame and let the ball bounce back?

You're just overthinking it.

If the calculation is wrong and the rebound is misplaced, and the Lakers grab this crucial rebound, it will be a huge disaster for the Knicks.

Because you are only leading by 1 point, the Lakers have countless ways to kill you, such as shooting three-pointers, cutting layups, mid-range shots, and even free throws.

It is not necessary for Xue Liancheng to take the shot. Others can also confidently complete the buzzer-beater, such as an alley-oop.

In this way, the entire defensive loophole is too big, and you can't even block it, or even... you can't even determine the direction to block it.

and so.

In any case, James cannot be careless with this free throw.

Only if they score the penalty can they truly take the initiative.

At least if they can stop the Lakers' three-point shots, they will be invincible.

The Knicks quickly called a timeout, and Tyronn Lue obviously wanted to make emergency arrangements to deal with various emergencies.

For example, what should we do if James misses a free throw?

For example, if James missed the free throw, how should they position themselves to fight for this crucial rebound?

For example, if James made a free throw and the opponent did not call a timeout, how should they respond?

There are so many things to pay attention to.

of course.

This timeout can also bring up their best rebounder.

The game starts again.

really.

Both sides adjusted their lineups.

On the Knicks side: Oladipo, James, Lopez, David West, Rooney.

All the tallest and most capable players of positioning were brought up, even David West, who rarely had playing time in the playoffs.

This shows how important this rebound is.

It really feels like a life and death board.

The Lakers are not far behind: Xue Liancheng, Vonleh, Randle, Zubac, and Larry Nance.

Except for Xue Liancheng, all other defenders went down.

If it wasn't for the need for personal support after grabbing the rebound, Xue Liancheng would probably have to go down as well.

This is a life-saving board!

The importance needs no further explanation.

Once lost, your life is lost as well.

Following the referee's whistle.

Everyone held their breath and stared at James without blinking.

James was obviously extremely nervous as well, breathing heavily and pacing back and forth.

O'Neal: "James is getting nervous too?"

Ernie Johnson: "After all, this ball may decide the championship! I believe everyone will be extremely nervous."

Barkley: "Yes! James is used to big storms, but this ball may be a turning point in his career, or even a ball that determines his career honor. If it were me, it would be difficult for me to calm down."

There was a pause.

Barkley suddenly looked at O'Neal: "No... James is your former teammate, don't you expect him to win the championship again?"

This is a big pit!

But since James did not win the 16-year championship as planned, his height has not yet been fully raised. O'Neal does not have too many concerns: "Of course I hope he wins, but if he wins, it means the Lakers will lose the championship. As a Lakers legend, I can't let my heart run away. I still have to consider the overall situation. Lakers championship!"

Even though O'Neal is laughing all day long, this answer is sincere and does not offend James too much. It is still very professional.

And on the court.

James aimed again and again, and finally made his move.

As the clanging sounded, the hearts of the audience began to beat faster.

Missed two free throws?

That's really terrible!

The team was already in a mess under the basket, and because the Lakers had the advantage of two Cards and one Kawhi Leonard, overall, the Lakers still had the advantage in terms of floor space and coverage.

But nothing is absolute. Both sides were giants with large tonnage and great strength. In the squeeze, David West pressed in.

but.

The ball bounced and went into the net.

The audience breathed a sigh of relief.

The people who were fighting together under the basket suddenly relaxed their tense nerves. They who had been grimacing and refusing to give up an inch of ground just now immediately straightened their posture.

The Lakers called another timeout, the last short timeout.

There's actually nothing to decorate.

The only function is to shorten the serving distance.

If you don't call a timeout, the Lakers need to serve the ball from the backcourt, and they only have 4.2 seconds. It will be difficult for you to dribble the ball over, and it will be easy to make all kinds of mistakes. You also can't set up the lineup and make tactical arrangements in the first place. You can only dribble the ball over by yourself and then shoot it out.

This is purely based on guessing, what is the probability of making a shot?

But the half-court serve is different.

You can plan your play in advance, get in the right position, and then make a lot of screens to give the shooting finisher a lot of space, which is really different from serving from the backcourt.

of course.

This is a comparison between the two.

But in fact, to complete an attack in just 4.2 seconds, most of the work depends on luck.

If you can score by chance, it will be a buzzer beater or a tie.

You didn't get in.

Then the game is over.

But this game is different. If the Lakers score, they can win the trophy or keep the hope of winning the trophy. If they don't score, they can only watch others win the trophy.

This is the difference.

Ernie Johnson made a brief summary: "With James' second free throw, the score became 119:121. There were 4.2 seconds left in the game and the Lakers had the ball. This really came to the exciting stage where one goal decided the outcome. I didn't expect the game to reach this stage. It was too surprising. Tell me, do the Lakers have a chance of winning next? Or will they choose to tie the game with two points or win with three points?"

O'Neal was the first to express his opinion: "If Xue Liancheng chose to shoot, it would definitely be a buzzer-beater from three points, without any surprises. If it was someone else from the Lakers who shot, it would mean that they were in a good position and could put the ball in with just a raise of their hands. This is the only reason they would choose to tie the game."

Barkley nodded: "I agree with Shaq's point of view, this is roughly the arrangement."

Why are they so sure?

Because Xue Liancheng has made so many buzzer-beating three-pointers or game-winning shots, people are unwilling to believe that Xue Liancheng will break through and make a two-point shot to tie the game.

This is definitely a stereotype, but it’s also an ironclad fact.

This gave the public the illusion that Xue Liancheng's last shot would be a three-pointer and he would not leave any room for maneuver.

And it's not just the public who think so.

The Lakers players and even Lakers head coach Mike Brown thought so. He arranged it this way: "Xue! If you feel that the space is not enough, or one of them has already walked to the basket, you can try to pass the ball. We can tie the score and enter the overtime at the same starting line, which is also a second-best option."

He never thought of letting Xue Liancheng break through and shoot the two-pointer or mid-range shot.

After hearing this, Xue Liancheng felt extremely bitter.

He finally realized the powerlessness of God.

Everyone worshipped him as a god, but he no longer had any power.

His plan now was to take advantage of other people's prejudice against him, then raid the basket and tie the game first.

But as soon as this thought came to his mind, he felt something was wrong.

It was not because he was ashamed of not being able to continue his omnipotence, but because he suddenly remembered that if he entered the three-point line, the Knicks only needed to guard the basket, and the other manpower would definitely pounce on him at the first opportunity.

If this is the case, then this sudden raid was definitely a terrible decision.

Because the paint area under the basket was blocked and after he was pinned down, those teammates outside the three-point line who were exposed would probably receive a hot potato even if they caught the ball, and their chances of success might not be as good as his forced shot?

of course.

There may be a bright side, too.

For example, he catches his opponent off guard and breaks through, and the person defending him is directly thrown away, while the defender guarding the basket is stunned for a moment. He takes the opportunity to continue to break through, and when the opponent reacts and comes forward to block him, he directly throws a high ball to assist the opponent to get an alley-oop.

Now! This is the best way.

At least it was a draw, and both sides returned to the same starting line, which is an acceptable outcome.

But all these things require him to make decisions on the spot, rather than relying on his brain's imagination.

Let out a long sigh.

He tried to relax himself: "I will make decisions based on the situation on the court. You should first arrange a tactic that will allow me to get the ball smoothly, and then let Randle and Vonleh intersperse under the basket, and the others will cover my tactics."

He didn't dare to say that he was going to shoot the ball.

Mike Brown nodded repeatedly: "Understood!"

Then invite everyone to come over and make the arrangements.

And in the box of the stadium.

Dolan had a face full of bitterness and hatred: "We were clearly leading by 4 points and were so close to the championship, why do we feel shaky now?"

Jackson smiled bitterly: "Our accelerated heartbeat comes from Xue. If it were any other team, the game would have ended long ago. Now is your time to speak, not to be nervous here."

Dolan opened his mouth and lost his voice: "..."

The truth is, the source of their fear was not just the suffocating moment of the last shot, but more because there was a miracle on the court.

And this miracle is called Xue Liancheng.

What they could not accept the most was that this miracle happened in New York.

This fact is really heartbreaking!

And the game soon resumed.

As the players from both teams walked onto the court, everyone instantly felt that the air froze at that moment.

Xue Liancheng could also clearly hear his own heartbeat.

This is a feeling I've never had before.

Because he used to have 100% hit rate skills in his hands, and the world was his to rule, so his heart rate did not speed up, nor did he feel nervous and suffocated.

But this time it's different.

All on your own!

The pressure is indescribable.

of course.

He also had an experience where he used up his 100% hit rate skill and then won the game with his true strength.

but……

It's still different.

This time it was a goal that decided who would win the championship, while last time we just lost the game. The pressure we faced was incomparable.

Xue Liancheng took another breath, trying to calm himself down as much as possible.

But the effect doesn't seem to be very good.

The referee blew the whistle.

Randall serves.

Xue Liancheng was directly trapped between Claude and Oladipo.

That's right!

It's right in the middle, not an exaggeration at all.

The others scattered and some rushed to the basket, but Lopez was guarding there, and Randall, who was serving the ball, was unguarded, so they didn't even bother to interfere with the serve.

This shows how strong Tyronn Lue's courage is. He bets that you don't dare to let Randle shoot a three-pointer, and also bets that Randle's mid-range shot is not reliable, so he directly lets Lopez go to the basket.

Then it doesn't matter how you route or move, I will guard your restricted area and prevent you from shooting in the paint.

As for outside the three-point line, no one cares about you, just shoot if you have the ability.

Tyronn Lue looks down on everyone on the Lakers except Xue Liancheng.

This prompted Barkley to exclaim: "This is a blatant insult to the rest of the Lakers!"

O'Neal: "This is the most helpless part of being a single core player. Two people will put you in the middle and won't let you catch the ball at all."

Ernie Johnson also became anxious: "Time is running out, pass the ball!"

finally.

In order to avoid a serving violation, Randall could only throw the ball to Clarkson.

Outside the three-point line, alone...

James symbolically took two steps forward and gestured, and he could see that Clarkson couldn't shoot, and even didn't dare to shoot.

of course.

In the end, he still came up to take precautions. No one knew if Clarkson would go crazy and suddenly do something like that...

But Xue Liancheng finally broke free with the help of Randall and James Johnson.

There are 2.7 seconds left.

Clarkson didn't dare to hesitate and passed the ball immediately.

After Xue Liancheng received the ball, he raised his hand without any hesitation, and James and Claude Oladipo all rushed over.

Three people surrounded and attacked!

They rush to block and interfere from different angles, not giving you any chance or space at all.

Barkley: "Oh my God! They all rushed over, and no one cared about the others."

O'Neill: "It's so suffocating..."

No one knew whether he said that the competition was suffocating or that he was suffocating because of Xue Liancheng's experience. Anyway, at this moment, everyone couldn't help but hold their breath.

result.

Never imagined.

1.7 seconds.

Xue Liancheng just stood on tiptoe and didn't jump at all.

The three people who were flying forward were also confused, and they quickly twisted their bodies and forced themselves to change direction.

But Xue Liancheng no longer has the time or space to commit fraud.

Because this was the last ball, it was difficult for him to expect the referee to whistle and score the winning goal.

So while they were flying in the air.

He turned around to avoid it, then jumped.

And this time.

There were only 0.6 seconds left in the game.

With so little time, it can be said frankly that the ball in his hand was a hot potato. He barely took aim, and hastily pushed the ball out relying on the 20% hit rate bonus from the open space and his own feeling.

just.

The ball was released and the red light came on.

This moment.

Everyone craned their necks.